Alice in Wonderland 2: Back in Time
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Alice returns to Wonderland to find it shattering apart. What will she do, and more importantly, will the Hatter be after her heart?
1. Through the Rabbit Hole Again

Alice held the little vial containing the jabberwocky's blood in it to her lips, wrinkles of indecision marring her pale brow.

Should she take the potion? The one that would return her home to England? That was what she had wanted, what she had been fighting for all this time... right?

She would have to face years of boring parties... Petticoats, corsets, ballgowns, suitors, dinners, other people's parents, getting old...

Getting old. That was one adventure she wasn't ready to have yet. Alice bit her lip, lowering the vial.

"Alice?" The Hatter's vivid green eyes looked at her curiously.

"You know, I thought I had to go back to London, but now I find that I can't"

"You mean like a Boggart is holding your shoes?" He asked in reply, completely serious. Alice nodded.

Hatter... Dear Hatter. How could she leave him? He had such a kind heart...

The purple sun peeked out over the horizon, beginning to shower them in lilac light. Alice looked at the vial in her hand, and watched the Jabberwocky blood slosh around as her hand shook.

Then, as hard as she could, she threw it over the castle ruins, hearing it whistle as it soared through the air and out of sight. Alice expected to feel a sense of relief, of belonging, of love...

What happened was something different.

It was like a mirror shattered. The world started cracking, like she was trapped in a glass ball, and it had fallen from a great height and was breaking apart. The stone pavement was splintering, jagged chunks falling at a rapid rate. Alice watched in horror as The armies fell through the holes, screaming as they went.

Then, the ground beneath Hatter's feet started cracking.

"Alice?" His voice was terrified.

Alice reached for her Hatter, trying to grab onto him before he fell, tried to scream for help, anything...

Then, he was gone... and the last shards of the mirror shattered.

Alice woke up with a loud gasp, shaking her head vigorously.

"It was just a dream... Just a dream, Alice." She repeated over and over, clutching her head as she felt her breathing speed up. It felt so real.

The old clock in the corner of the room chimed one-o-clock, The time she always woke up every night.

Alice got out of bed and slipped on her slippers. Her mother thought that wandering about the house after having a bad dream was unhealthy, but Alice felt it calmed her down after the dream. Alice looked in her mirror as she passed it on her way to the door, noticing the dark circles under eyes.

Then, her ears pricked up. Something was calling her...

Alice paused at her doorway and listened, hearing the creaking of the house, and the gurgling pipes.

Then, there it was again.

_"Alice!"_ The familiar voice called. Quickly, Alice ran to the closet and pulled on a warm robe and a pair of rubber boots before running downstairs after the voice.

As she ran out of the house and down the garden steps, the voice became more and more insistent.

_"Alice! Alice! Come here, Alice! Hurry!"_

Alice saw a flash of white running through the rose patch, causing a large grin to break out on her face. She plunged into the hedgerows, nearly laughing with joy as the White Rabbit led her down a winding path and down into the woods.

Just as she reached the edge of their property, Alice stopped and looked back at her home. The windows were dark, the house barely outlined against the dark sky.

Alice swallowed her tears quickly. She had spent all this time regretting her decision to leave Underland. She didn't belong in this world... and this time, she wouldn't come back.

After allowing herself a moment, Alice turned her back on her house and began following the rabbit again. She rounded a bend in the path in time to see the Rabbit jump down a large hole. She followed suit, knowing the drill.

As she fell, quite used to the odd assortment of objects around her, Alice grabbed a teapot, cup and a biscuit from a tea tray that drifted past.

Then, after a moment, the ground came into sight. Alice landed gracefully, and looked around. The room was exactly as she remembered it; seven locked doors and a curtain that was hiding the eighth. The small table still stood in the middle of the room, with a familiar bottle and key on top.

This time Alice made sure she picked up the key AND the bottle before stooping to where she knew the small door was. Alice pulled back the curtain to reveal it, and she smiled, quickly downing the shrinking potion and holding tightly to the key.

The room grew around her as Alice coughed and shrank. As she became smaller, her dress got bigger, leaving her naked under the circus tent of fabric. Alice crawled out, covering herself in a corner of her former dress.

Luckily, a small dress was already waiting for her on a hanger. She picked it up, and put it on. The short dress was light, perfect for the warm climate of Underland. Looking down, Alice saw that it was pink silk, flowing down into a gauzy skirt that ended just below her knees. Little flowers adorned the top, and spaghetti straps wound their way over her porcelain shoulders.

After admiring herself a moment more, Alice turned once again to the little door, noticing a necklace hanging on the doorknob that certainly hadn't been there before.

Alice put it on, quite used to the way things magically appeared in Underland. The necklace was simple, a pink ribbon with a small teardrop pearl as a pendant, but it gave her courage as a wave of nervousness washed over her.

What if she had changed? Had she? Would her friends notice? Were they waiting? What about Hatter? Did he still have feelings for her? Did she for him?

"Okay, breathe Alice.." She muttered, taking a few deep breaths. Everything would be just fine. In a few moments, she would be sitting at the Hatter's tea table, ducking flying utensils like old times.

"I think i'll have two lumps of sugar and scone..." Alice said, putting the key in the lock and opening the door.


	2. Of Upside Down and Ice

Alice opened the door with a small creak, poking her head out just a little.

What she saw wasn't quite right.

The mushroom wood looked the same alright, but it was upside down.

How queer.

Also, the light was off. It was almost like it was dark already, except that she could see the sun.

Alice tentatively took a step forward, still holding on to the door in case she were to fall into the sky.

Luckily, that was not the case, and she soon let go of the doorknob.

Alice looked up, hoping that by looking, she could follow a path.

She soon found the one she was looking for, and set off to try and follow it as best she could.

After what seemed like hours of craning her neck up to the, er- ground-sky,her neck was getting quite sore.

Alice decided to take a rest, and sat on a stray cloud.

_'At least Underland doesn't revolve around the sun here' _She thought.

And indeed, the sky- er, ground, was not moving at all, much to her relief.

As Alice set off, she looked around her, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the sun.

When she finally located it behind her, she realized that it would be setting soon.

Quickly, Alice picked up her pace, not wanting to be caught sleeping in the sky, even though clouds would make quite good beds.

Then, the sun set.

How did Alice know this?

Because she fell out of the sky.

Right smack on top of a grassy hill.

A HARD grassy hill.

As she looked up, she saw an altogether familiar grin looming in the dusky light.

"You know Alice, don't you know by now not to walk in the sky on Upside-downagain Day?"

"Must have slipped my mind" Alice groaned.

Slowly, she got up and brushed herself off, relieved that there were no grass stains on her dress.

"Where am I supposed to sleep tonight Cheshire?"

He grinned his famous toothy smile and started to drift away.

"Somewhere of large importance"

Alice followed him, suddenly overcome with sleepiness.

When Alice was shaken awake, she first thought that she had walked into a snowstorm. It was blindingly white and very cold.

Then she realized that it was a palace of sorts.

It almost looked like the White Queen's palace, but it couldn't be.

It was too cold.

The White Queens palace was always warm, always sunny, with the perfume of a hundred flowers wafting through the air.

She looked to her right, and saw the Cheshire cat looking up at the Palace forlornly.

"What is this place?" She whispered, watching her breath cloud in the frosty air.

"Twas once a place of merriment"

Alice took a step forward, looking down the paved pathway. On either side, there were frozen cherry trees, sheathed in ice during their full bloom.

Up ahead was a grand white wood door, feather soft to the touch, but under the sheets of ice, who knew?

As her eyes swept across the palace's front, tiny flakes of snow started to drift down from the pitch-black sky.

She looked back at the Cat, her face unreadable.

"This was the White Queen's palace"

He nodded solemnly.

"This is why we brought you back"

Alice took a deep breath and pushed open the great doors, her hands stinging from the ice.

As she ventured into the hall, she saw what looked like statues lining the hall.

As she took a step closer to one that was carved in a likeness of a chess rook, she realized that they were not statues at all.

They were people.

Tears welled up in her blue eyes as she looked around the once grand hall, recognizing more and more of the icy beings.

Who had done this?

Alice continued up the steps, following her memories into the throne room.

She gasped when she saw the awful sight that awaited her.

The room was still the same, just devoid of the many people that usually inhabited it.

Alice slowly let out the breath she had taken in, rooted to the spot.

Standing in front of her regal throne, almost like she had been surprised and taken a step forwards, about to say something, was the White Queen herself.

It was almost like there was a wall of glass surrounding her, like a block of ice.

Alice ran forwards, hitting the ice as hard as she could, ignoring the pain in her hands.

After beating it for what seemed like a Millennia, Alice slid down the wall.

It was then that her tears splashed forth, leaving little spots of the chilly ice covering the floor.

How could she have let this happen?

How could she have left?

The guilt and sorrow washed over her, ravaging her body with huge sobs.

It was all her fault.

Then, Alice noticed something odd.

In the spots where her tears had landed, little shoots were poking up from the ice.

As she watched, the little stems grew, then bloomed into graceful white roses.

Smiling softly through her tears, Alice picked one and smelled it, remembering the scent of thousands of roses that normally adorned this place.

Alice sensed the Cheshire Cat returning, just drifting in the doorway.

Alice started to get up, then noticed another statue in the corner, also encased in a sheet of ice.

It was the Hatter.

His face was one of concern. He was reaching out towards the queen, no doubt as she was frozen.

Alice's tears increased, bringing up more roses.

"Dear Hatter" She whispered.

Now she had lost her most trusted companion.

What would she do?

Alice stood up and gently touched the ice where his cheek was.

"What do I have to do?" She asked the Cheshire Cat, not looking at him.

"You must revive Underland, Alice"

She looked into the Hatter's green eyes, then kissed the spot her hand had just occupied.

"I'll be back"

Then, she followed the Cheshire Cat out of the room, not looking back.

* * *

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	3. The Queen

Alice trudged along the path that led from the White Palace to the Red Palace, following the Chshire Cat's bobbing head.

More than once, she fell asleep, nodding off to the rhythm of her aching feet.

Then, she was nudged by the Cheshire Cat, waking up with a jolt.

"Here we are, Solenia Palace"

Alice looked around.

"I don't see anything"

There was a freshly made dirt path, leading off from the desert trail they were on, to yet another desert trail over there.

"Are you sure Cheshire?"

"As sure that I can't see my feet at the moment"

Alice looked over and saw that indeed, the Cat's feet were invisible.

"Alright" She said, starting down it.

After she plodded along for another while, the sun started to come up over the mountains.

"How pretty" She commented, picking an apple off a tree along side the road.

The desert was more sparse now, interspersed with large trees and pools of water.

The apple trees grew more numerous as well, their pungent blossoms adorning the breeze.

As she walked, Alice noticed the path turn from dirt to something harder. She looked down, and was only mildly surprised to see that the road was made out of diamond.

"Whoever this Queen is, she certainly is outdoing the other Queens"

Then, she saw it.

Right in the middle of the swamp lands, the tall trees surrounding it, was a miraculous palace.

It was made of what looked like Amethyst, tall rounded spikes of it, thrust up into the sky like a monument.

Alice stepped forwards, still watching the purple Castle glitter in the early light.

Then, a small Badger came running out of the grand doors.

"Alice!" He called.

"Yes?"

"The Queen wishes to see you"

She was led in the grand stone doors and taken into a throne room, not unlike the White Queen's.

Atop an Amethyst throne, a tall woman in a Lavender dress sat, watching Alice like a Hawk.

"Good day Alice, I am sure that you have seen what happened at my dear sister's palace?"

"Sister?"

"Oh yes, no one ever spoke to you about me?"

Alice shook her head.

"Very well then"

The Badger pulled a chair out and motioned for Alice to sit. She sat, and looked expectantly to the Queen.

"I am the youngest sister, Aletha. Therefore, I am Heir to the throne of Underland, and keeper of the Amethyst crown"

Alice nodded, slightly disturbed by this turn of events.

"You must trust me" Queen Aletha said, stepping gracefully off her throne and descending the small steps.

"We need your help, Alice"

Alice thought this through, remembering her friends at the White palace, now encesed in their coffin of roses and ice.

She swallowed.

"What do you want me to do?"

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4

A laugh bubbled up from the Amethyst queen's delicate throat.

"Why, nothing of great importance. Dear, sweet Alice" She said, almost sickeningly sweet. She rose from the table and gestured to Alice.

"Come"

Alice followed Aletha out of the dining room and along a glimmering Emerald corridor. Indeed, it must be that the entire palace was created by many shades of different gems, the perfect picture of wealth. After what seemed an eon, the pair left the emerald corridor by a gilt mahogany door, intricately carved.

Behind the door lay yet another room, and Alice began to wonder if her eyes were playing tricks on her. This room was unlike anything else she had seen, it was almost opposite to the rest of the castle.

The room was almost like a crater, the walls escalating steeply into a pitch black ceiling. The entire room was made of black obsidian that made loops and whorls up the walls and back down again, before finally swirling to a stop in the very center of the room. IN the center of the room was an ornate dais, which sat an odd contraption.

"Here is my greatest treasure" Aletha breathed, and Alice realized that she had quite forgotten the queen was there, she had been so enraptured in the room's odd configuration.

"What...What exactly is it?" Alice asked, following the queen as she moved closer. The contraption was a delicate machine, made of wire and some smooth silver metal unlike anything Alice had seen before.

"It is the key to the future, or rather, the past" The amethyst queen replied coldly, running her hand on one of the machine's silvery arms. Alice took a step back as Queen Aletha looked up at her harshly before smirking.

"You see, your first return to Underland didn't go as I had planned. You killed the Jabberwocky instead of letting it kill you, freeing the people of Underland. In a perfect world, you would have been killed along with every other monarch on that chessboard, leaving me to ascend the throne without getting my hands dirty" The queen prowled around the dais, the malicious smirk never leaving her prim lips.

"Y-you! you froze all those poor people! The Hatter, and the White Queen, and oh-" The Queen cut Alice off with a shriek of laughter.

"Hah! Yes, yes I did. don't you see now silly girl?I knew freezing them would bring you back here, so I was, ah- Helpless to do anything else"

Alice's stomach twisted at the Amethyst Queen's betrayal. How had this woman been allowed to go unchecked all these years? Surely someone could have stopped her...

"And you had your chance to stop me, oh yes you did. Yet, you changed your mind"

What?

This had been her fault?

"I don't understand" Alice said calmly, trying not to provoke the Amethyst Queen's wrath.

"That fateful day, where I was brought forth for the White Queen's judgement. When I was accused of treason against my own sister!"

* * *

FLASHBACK-

_"Queen Aletha, you have been found guilty of crimes against the White Court, how plead you?" The White Queen Mirana's voice rang out through the large throne room._

_A young girl knelt at the white queen's feet, sobbing._

_"Guilty, but give me another chance, Sister! Please-"_

_"You will be banished henceforth to the outlying territories, never to return"_

_Alice shifted uncomfortably behind the White Queen's throne. The girl before them had indeed committed crimes, releasing information to the Red Queen, but she was too young, too young to be banished._

_"Please, your Majesty" Alice said to the White Queen, pleading. "This girl has committed a crime, but isn't it wrong to punish her for an offense as mild as this? With proper guidance, she could learn from her mistakes"_

_The White Queen considered this, then nodded._

_"Forgive me, Aletha. In my anger I have ruled unfairly, you will be kept under close guard from now on, but you will not be banished"_

_The Amethyst Queen looked at Alice with what must have been meant as gratitude, but a devilish smirk played across the young Queen's face as she was taken away, and Alice began to wonder if she had made a mistake... _

_FLASHBACK END-_

* * *

"That was you!" Alice cried as she was shaken out of her vision. The Queen smiled, the very same smirk from years before playing across those sickeningly sweet lips.

"Yes, dear Alice. Don't you see? It was all your fault. Your voice of reason that kept me in power, and now look at what i've done" Aletha laughed.

"The White Queen and I did you a favor, and this is how you repay us?" Alice asked, angry tears stinging her eyes. The Amethyst Queen paused, fingering a metal loop of the machine.

"This plan was set in motion years ago, even before that. The hour grows ripe for my final action, and I intend to relish it"

Two crystal-like guards came out of the shadows with a length of chain with a metal bracelet attached. One grabbed Alice despite her struggles, and the other wrenched her arm away from her body, clapping the metal bracelet on roughly and chaining the other end to the machine.

Alice yanked in vain at the metal rings, but they didn't give way.

"Goodbye, sweet Alice" Aletha chuckled, flouncing out the door and shutting it behind her with an evil laugh.

A whirring noise began to come from the machine, and Alice renewed her attempts to free herself in vain. Fear pumped through her veins as a light began to radiate throughout the room, nearly blinding her as it got brighter. Alice fell against the pedestal, crying in earnest now. This would be how she would die, alone and chained to a fearsome machine. No Hatter to hug her, no Cheshire cat... Wait... That was it.

"Chess! Oh Chess, please tell me you can hear me!" Alice cried, sobbing. "Chess!"

"You called?" A velvety voice purred in her ear.

"Help me Chess!" Alice pleaded, holding out her chained wrist. The machine was shaking now.

"I'm sorry Alice, but this must be done" The Cheshire Cat replied.

"You're just going to leave me to die?" Alice cried in disbelief. The light was blinding now. Time was running out.

"No, no. You will not die, just travel" With that, the cat disappeared.

Alice sobbed harder than ever as she began to feel a wrenching sensation in her chest. She closed her eyes against the white light.

Suddenly, she felt as light as feathers, and then she was falling.

Alice fell for what seemed like a century, then she landed on something, hard. The wind was knocked out of her, and she coughed, still squeezing her eyes shut.

After she got her breath back, Alice cautiously opened one eye.

And could not believe what she saw.


End file.
